The present invention is an optical correlation counter, and more particularly is a cell correlation counter. The specific invention described herein can be computer controlled.
There is a continuing need for counting of very small particles in a variety of environments. Specifically, in cell research there are many areas which would benefit from more efficient counting techniques. Examples include cancer research, blood cell counting, sperm counting, AIDS research, fertility studies, and other areas of counting biological structures, microstructures, and particles, as well as non-biological particles and microstructures.
In older methods of cell counting performed in a laboratory environment, a human counter was required to be located at a microscope for extended periods of time to effectively, reliably and manually examine a sample. Even under the best of conditions in the laboratory environment, the requirement for carefully counting individual items of interest such as sperm cells and blood cells was, and is, very tiring and laborious. The process is time-consuming and subject to inconsistencies and variables such as operator experience and fatigue.
In addition to the fully manual cell or particle counting systems requiring varying degrees of human interaction, there have been a variety of systems in the prior art that have introduced some degree of computer control to permit mechanization, or at least partial mechanization, of the counting activity. Thus, U.S. Pat. No. 702,595 to Mutschler et al, describes a pattern recognition system with working area detection which automatically positions a field being examined for cell or particle counting in a proper position with respect to an optical scanning means. This system is directed to optimization of pattern recognition and to automatically enable examination of the field of the observation within a good working area. The system is particularly applicable to examination of blood smears on a slide, by positioning the slide to enable examination without operator intervention.
Also, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,475,236 to Hoffman, a method is disclosed for rapidly analyzing a mixture of unknown stained cells and known cells having different staining characteristics, a cell at a time, in a flow cytometry system having a sample stream dimension in the range of the expected cell dimensions. The cells are illuminated and fluorescence is detected and related to the number of cells being observed. A histogram of the mixture sample may be analyzed by counting the cells in a controlled population below a relatively low threshold value of fluorescence intensity.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,362,386 to Matsushita et al, a method is disclosed for mechanization of a microscope stage to move the field of view of a slide having a blood smear thereon to an optimum position within the smear, under computer control, so that white blood corpuscles can be detected, counted, and automatically classified within the optimum area of the slide.
Finally, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,213,036 to Kopp et al, a method of probing a biological cell sample with an optical source to determine the characteristics of the cell image by way of measuring parameters from its two-dimensional Fourier transform is disclosed. This patent discloses a method of measuring discriminating parameters for cell classification by use of the Fourier transform technique.
The aforementioned techniques of the prior art employ varying degrees of manual, semi-automated, and fully automated techniques for small biological particle examinations, classifications, and counting. None, however, employ the techniques and methods of the present invention.